Oil prices stabilized on Thursday (February 12th), as the market reassigned a risk premium to US-Iran tensions despite US inventory data showing swelling domestic supplies. This movement confirms one thing: geopolitical headlines are still more "noise" than signals of a short-term surplus. As of 3:50 PM WIB, Brent was at $69.60/barrel (+0.29%) and WTI was at $64.83/barrel (+0.31%). The gains were moderate, but enough to keep prices near the psychological $70 level for Brent. From a geopolitical perspective, market focus is on the potential for escalation in the Middle East. Recent reports...
Japanese stocks rallied on Friday, boosted by a weaker yen following weaker-than-expected inflation data in Tokyo. The Nikkei stock index rose 0.6% to 50,700.49, with technology and video game stocks leading the gains. SoftBank Group rose 1.5%, while Nintendo also posted a 1.6% gain, reflecting market optimism about Japan's technology sector. The weaker yen also supported Japanese stocks, with USD/JPY trading at 156.22, up from 155.81 at the previous Tokyo close. Investors are now closely watching any comments from Japanese government officials regarding the yen's depreciation, as well as...
The Nikkei 225 added 64 points, or 0.1%, to close at 50,408 on Thursday, swinging from a slight dip in the prior session after Wall Street's S&P 500 and Dow Jones hit fresh record highs on Wednesday. Trading was subdued in holiday-thinned conditions as investors awaited cabinet approval of Japan's FY2026 budget, estimated at JPY 122 trillion, a second consecutive record, potentially as early as Friday. Gains were tempered by caution ahead of key domestic data due Friday, including December Tokyo CPI, November unemployment and retail sales, plus flash industrial output. Technology...
Japanese stocks rose on Thursday after the S&P 500 index posted gains in a shortened session ahead of Christmas, despite many Asian markets being closed. The Topix index rose 0.3% to 3,417.98, while the Nikkei 225 also gained 0.1% to 50,407.79. Despite the gains, trading remained thin as many European and Asian markets were closed for the holidays. Among stocks that provided positive momentum, Sony Group Corp. rose 1.2%, the largest contributor to the Topix's rise. The electrical equipment and wholesale trade sectors posted the largest gains, while banking and non-ferrous metals stocks...
The Nikkei 225 index opened slightly higher today (December 25th), in the range of 50,344 to 50,475 points, after Asian markets showed mixed movements in the previous session. Market liquidity tends to remain thin ahead of the Christmas holiday, reflecting a calmer and more cautious trading atmosphere. Market sentiment was influenced by the surge in gold and silver prices, indicating investors' flight to safe-haven assets, as well as positive US economic data that boosted expectations of future interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. However, the strengthening of the Japanese yen is a...
US stock indexes closed higher in Wednesday's shortened trading session (December 24), maintaining strong momentum from this week amid expectations that the current economic backdrop continues to support earnings prospects for the coming year. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the Dow jumped 0.7%, both hitting record highs, while the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.3%. Yesterday's third-quarter GDP data was well above expectations for a 4.3% annual expansion, reflecting strong private consumption and curbing concerns that tariffs are hampering spending or fueling a surge in inflation. Meanwhile, initial...
The STOXX 50 index closed little changed at 5,749 during a shortened and quiet Christmas Eve trading session, while the STOXX 600 ended slightly above the flatline at 588.8, after closing at a record high the previous day. Luxury stocks outperformed, with LVMH jumping 0.8%, Hermes adding 0.6%, and L'Oreal edging up 0.3%. Iberdrola also rose 0.3%. Conversely, ASML Holding and AstraZeneca each fell 0.5%, Airbus fell 0.2%, and Unilever ended 0.4% lower. BP pared early gains to end down 0.4% after agreeing to sell a 65% stake in Castrol to Stonepeak. Elsewhere, Sanofi fell 0.7% after...
The Hang Seng Index rose 45 points, or 0.2%, to close at 25,819 on Wednesday, rebounding from a slight decline in the prior session as most sectors posted modest gains in thin holiday trading, led by financials. Sentiment was further lifted by a sixth straight advance in the Shanghai benchmark. Meanwhile, the Trump administration announced Tuesday plans to impose tariffs on Chinese semiconductor imports over Beijing's "unreasonable" push for chip industry dominance, though implementation will be delayed until June 2027, limiting near-term impact. Investors also looked ahead to November...
The STOXX 50 rose 0.1% and the STOXX 600 added 0.4% during the shortened Christmas Eve trading session, following the STOXX 600's close at a fresh record high the previous day. Trading volumes are expected to remain light, with no major economic releases scheduled in Europe. Commodity-linked stocks were among the top performers, led by energy shares amid rising oil and metal prices. BP gained 0.5% after agreeing to sell a 65% stake in Castrol to Stonepeak, while Shell rose 0.3% and TotalEnergies advanced 0.8%. The luxury sector also posted gains, with LVMH up 0.4%, Hermes adding 0.3%, and...
Gold rises in the early Asian trade. There's a broad commodities uptrend, driven by macro uncertainty, a weaker dollar, and persistent demand for "hard" assets, says Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst...
Oil extended declines after OPEC+ agreed to a bigger-than-expected production increase next month, raising concerns about oversupply just as US tariffs fan fears about the demand outlook.
Brent...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) weakened against its US counterpart and reversed part of Friday's recovery from the lowest level since July 23 following Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda's remarks....